The present invention relates to a concealable buckle apparatus.
Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, a conventional concealable buckle apparatus includes a supporting element 70, a buckle 75, a locking device 80 and a panel 85. The buckle 75 is pivotally mounted on the supporting element 70 between an extended position and a concealed position. The locking device 80 is movably mounted on the supporting element 70 between a locking position and a releasing position. In the locking position, the locking device 80 locks the buckle 75 in the concealed position. The panel 85 is mounted on the supporting element 70 and defines an opening 41 through which the buckle 75 extends in the extended position and a slot 43 through which the locking device 80 is accessible. The concealable buckle apparatus may include a torque spring 90 for biasing the buckle from the concealed position to the extended position. The concealable buckle apparatus however includes a complicated structure and involves complicated fabrication and results in a high cost.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a structurally simple concealable buckle apparatus.
According to the present invention, a concealable buckle apparatus includes a panel, a locking element, a shaft and a buckle. The panel includes a recess and a margin formed about the recess. The recess includes a bottom and a wall projecting from the bottom and two slots extending from the bottom to the wall. The locking element includes a concave first portion, a convex second portion extending from the first portion, a concave third portion extending from the second portion and a fourth portion extending from the third portion. The fourth portion of the locking element is secured to the bottom of the recess. The shaft is put between the locking element and the bottom of the panel. The buckle includes two lateral portions inserted through the slots and secured to the shaft and a central portion formed between the lateral portions. The buckle is concealed in the recess when the shaft is retained in the first portion of the locking element. The buckle is completely extended from the recess when the shaft is retained in the third portion of the locking element.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings.